Quality Time With Family

Guest: Fun Seeker (Texas)
Date of Stay: 06/12/10 Review Submitted: 04/19/11

The weather was beautiful during our family vacation. We rode the train, toured Mesa Verde, shopped in Durango and Silverton, hiked, took photos and went sight seeing. The homeowner was friendly and helpful.We cooked many good meals in the large modern kitchen, enjoyed sitting on the decks watching wildlife. Really appreciated the washer and dryer. Comfortable, homey "cabin" in the mountains. Thanks for sharing it with us.

Recommended for:Sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, pet owners, families with teenagers, romantic getaway, families with young children.

Highly recommended

Guest: Billy (Lewisville, Texas)
Date of Stay: 12/27/10 Review Submitted: 01/02/11

The house was great -- roomy, but also cozy. Nestled on a hill, it is surrounded by tall pine trees. It has large windows and a large deck to take in the view. It has a small creek running through the front yard. There is a beautiful river valley down the hill, with mountains on the other side. We enjoyed the hot tub on the deck after skiing, and made great use of the spacious kitchen. It has a piano. The house is off the beaten path -- about 7 miles north of Durango in the small community of Trimble Springs, which means you are closer to the ski slopes than if you stay in town. The Purgatory Ski Resort is about a 15-20 minute drive. But it's also close enough to town so that you can enjoy the restaurants,night life and other amenities in Durango. But the thing that made our stay most memorable was the hospitality of the owner, Scott, and the property attendant Nicole who lives in the house next door. It snowed about 18 inches the second day we were there. It made for beautiful winter scenery, but our vehicle was not a four wheel drive, and it was very difficult to drive on the snow covered roads. Scott drove me into town to buy tire chains so that we could drive on the roads. He also helped me put the chains on the car - a task I had never done before. He also offered to let us stay another night for a reduced rate until the roads cleared. Nicole came by a couple of times to make sure we were okay. She and Scott personally shoveled and cleared snow so that we could get to our car and get out of the driveway. Scott grew up in Durango and knows alot about the area and can give you useful pointers about things to do. The next time we come to Durango, we will stay here again.

Recommended for:Sightseeing, adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, romantic getaway.

Great Place!

Guest: Mamcita (Dallas, TX)
Date of Stay: 10/11/10 Review Submitted: 12/22/10

The home exceeded my expectations! Private, beautiful with a creek right outside the front door! It was hard to leave but we had to get out and explore. We hiked up a trail outside the back door, went rafting, sat in the hot springs just down the road, ate at Seasons and Carvers but mostly enjoyed the tranquility the home had to offer. Scott was great and made sure we were cozy and well oriented with the area. Did not see a bear but we made sure they couldn't get into anything. The hot tub put a nice ending on all of our days! We will be back!

Recommended for:Sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, pet owners, age 55+, families with teenagers, romantic getaway, families with young children.

south to the southwest

Guest: SC Family (Charleston, SC)
Date of Stay: 10/27/10 Review Submitted: 11/03/10

Our family spent 4 days at the Mine Shaft, and couldn't have enjoyed ourselves more! The weather was amazing, and the house was peaceful and comfortable. We really enjoyed kicking back in the hot tub after a long day of sightseeing with the kids! We were pleased to meet Scott (the homeowner) who was very accommodating, and gave us some awesome pointers about spots to hit during our vacation in Durango. We'd love to come back this way sometime, and will definitely stay here again! (And the views were amazing!)

Recommended for:Sightseeing, adventure seekers, pet owners, age 55+, families with teenagers, romantic getaway.

adventurous family

Guest: Austin family (Austin, TX)
Date of Stay: 08/02/10 Review Submitted: 11/02/10

We came in August, and the weather was mostly sunny with a few thunderstorms. We went hiking, rafting on the Animas River, did the soaring zipline, went to Mesa Verde, and even made it to the hot springs in Ouray (which was great!). We enjoyed meeting Scott Frazer, and we loved this house. We also really enjoyed the Balcony house at Mesa Verde. Our favorite day in Durango was spent on the "soaring" zipline tree-top adventure- incredible!

Recommended for:Sightseeing, adventure seekers, families with teenagers, families with young children.

Southwest Family

Guest: anonymous (Houston, TX)
Date of Stay: 08/16/10 Review Submitted: 11/01/10

The weather was fabulous! (Way better than home :) We went fly fishing, shopping, had a spa day, went hiking, read books, knitted, had lots of wine & food, and played cards. In downtown Durango we met the nicest woman from Texas on Main Street, a cute blonde from Season's restaurant that we seemed to run into everywhere, and Karen Gabaldon at her great art gallery downtown. We loved the 'Bread' bakery, and the farmer's market downtown on saturdays. One of our favorite moments at the house was when my husband saw what he thought was a tree trunk, and it turned out to be a bear!

Recommended for:Sightseeing, age 55+, romantic getaway.

Enjoyed our stay very much.

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 07/24/10 Review Submitted: 08/01/10

We just came home from a week at the Mineshaft and enjoyed it very much. Loved the stream running outside the deck and the decks themselves as well. Jacuzzi was great, even in summer. Hearing the Durango Silverton Narrow Gauge RR and being able to see them go by was a plus. Appreciated being able to bring our 4 legged friends with us. The place makes a great base to see Durango, Ouray, Mesa Verde and even Telluride. Would definitely recommend it.

Recommended for:Sightseeing, pet owners, age 55+, families with teenagers, romantic getaway.

Private? Not so much!

Guest: Donna (Vidor, Texas, USA)
Date of Stay: 07/15/10 Review Submitted: 07/23/10

One's definition of privacy varies, but to look off the porch into someone's bedroom (if I can see them, they can see me!) or the fact that the owner's office is on site and he made "surprise" visits (even while we were not there...and that's visits, plural) or sitting in the hot tub looking into the back door of another cabin or the window of yet another does not constitute privacy to me. So much for a romantic getaway! Another problem was the air conditioning did not work! It was extremely hot during our stay and we could not use the cabin during the day hours because the air unit did NOT cool. There were no instructions on how to use the unit remote, either??? This ad also states there's a washer & dryer. The dryer was running with the last tenants sheets and towels drying. I didn't feel I was responsible to do their laundry or that I could use these facilities because of this. I paid a $200 cleaning fee! Very unprofessional! While we did enjoy the bear sightings, I didn't like having to pick up trash in the morning just to get my car out of the driveway. When I talked to Mr. Frazer about this he wanted to know if I strapped down the garbage can? It was the night I arrived, I hadn't used the garbage can. It wasn't my responsibility??? Again, very unprofessional! I have rented other private homes in the past and have not had these types of inconveniences or problems. There were no directions or instructions. I wasn't real pleased with my experiences for the price I paid!

Owner response:As the homeowner I always appreciate feedback from visitors and take these reviews seriously so that I can make improvements to the home. It is my intention that guests enjoy their experience at the Mine Shaft. Given that I want to be sure that guests at my house are aware of a few things. First of all, although the house is located in a country setting on an acre of land that is bordered by National Forest there are neighboring homes adjacent to the Mine Shaft. The home is not in an isolated setting nor is it located in a subdivision. The nearby homes are often vacant and they are surrounded by acreage. One of the unique qualities of the Mine Shaft is that it is in a beautifully forested, quiet spot yet still convenient to accessing the activities in the Durango area. I have found that this is something that my guests typically appreciate. In response to coming on site, as the home owner I consider it my responsibility (or my property manager's) to maintain the premises. This includes shoveling and plowing snow in the winter, trash removal, and maintenance to the hot tub to ensure it is clean and working properly for guest satisfaction. Any visits to the home occur only during mid day time hours to respect the space of those staying at the Mine Shaft. I am always aware that some visitors prefer to be left alone and I am happy to accommodate any needs or requests if they are communicated to me. The house is currently in great shape. I am excited about the new improvements. I have built several privacy fences on both North and South sides of the house as well as a privacy lattice around the hot tub area. I just recently built a dormer with a new window in the upstairs master bedroom which allows cool air flow throughout the loft. In addition, the air conditioners have been upgraded to make the sometimes hot summer days more comfortable. Now about those bears. Durango and the surrounding area has had several dry hot summers that have caused local bears to forage at lower elevations, getting into trash bins and creating havoc for local people. I decided to build a bear proof cage adjacent to the garage to keep them out. Finally, there is a more detailed instruction book, and please feel free to comment in the guest book. I enjoy reading about all the fun adventures that my guests have while staying at the Mine Shaft. Please contact me with any questions or concerns. I am happy to talk to you about any of these. Sincerely Scott

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